Twelve Days of Christmas
by alexiroseni
Summary: It was just one of those things. He'd gotten the idea from out of nowhere but he wasn't going to let it up. Marlene McKinnon deserved to have a phenomenal christmas so Sirius Black set out on a quest to give her a real christmas tradition. But it couldn't be something simple and straightforward. It had to be elaborate and well-planned.
1. Chapter 1

A/N Done for hxfflepuff on Tumblr for the Blackinnon Secret Santa 2013. I'll be posting the rest as the 12 days progress! Merry Christmas!

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Day One: December 25, 1977

Marlene got a pear at breakfast Christmas morning. She wasn't head over heels about pears the way she was about peaches but it was still fresh fruit in the middle of a Scottish winter.

Then there were two in her coat pockets as she dressed to head to the Potters to celebrate the holiday.

Then four were stashed with her cold weather gear when she, Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter went with Alice to pick up Frank.

Eight at lunch.

Sixteen after they had played "snow quidditch".

"Black!"

"McKinnon!" He was lounging in the Potter's front sitting room, reading and covered in what she assumed were 32 pears.

Marlene couldn't help but laugh. "What the hell?"

Sirius looked up with a small smirk on his lips. "Do you know how many pears are on an average pear tree?"

Marlene shook her head.

"Me either!" Here Sirius stood, pears falling to the ground and drawing the attention of most of the common room. "Because there are several types of pear trees and they all produce different types of pears."

They stood just inches from each other. Marlene placed her arms on his shoulders. He was a doofus but as of that summer he was her doofus "But why the pears Sirius?"

"It's the beginning of your Christmas presents."

"Beginning?"

"Yes and there is Partridge for dinner." Sirius leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Day Two: December 26, 1977

Everyone went to the Potter's for Christmas. Marlene, her parents, her two brothers and Alice. Frank Longbottom, Alice's fiancé. Arthur and Molly Weasley with their little ones. The Prewitt boys. Remus and his parents. Peter. Sirius and James of course. The only thing to make it better would be if Lily, Marlene's best friend besides James and Sirius was there. That made breakfast chaotic and loud. That morning was especially so because there were two black birds literally chasing everyone around the dining room.

"Sirius! What the blazes were you thinking?" Mr. Potter called, good naturedly to his second son, as he trapped the birds and went to set them free outside.

Sirius, his daily buttered muffin in hand, was laughing the hardest. "I thought that it would prolong our festive mood."

Mrs. Potter rolled her eyes and ruffled Sirius hair before sitting. "No more animals in the house."

Sirius smoothed his hair and nodded. "Alright, Mum."

Marlene smiled as she sat down next to him. He looked so damn happy that Marlene couldn't help but be happy too. Even if the birds had been a bad idea.


	3. Chapter 3

Day Three: December 27, 1977

That day they were going to Diagon Alley so see the Christmas displays. It was one of those clear sky, bitter cold days. They floo'd to the Leaky Cauldron and made their way to Flourish and Blotts to meet Lily, Emmy Vance and Liam Dearborn for an afternoon of after Christmas sales buying Christmas decorations and chocolate at half price.

"Marlene!" Lily, red hair hidden under her stocking cap and cheeks red from the cold, called across the crowds of people filling the alley.

Marlene, also bundled against the cold, waved to her friend before shooting James a look. "Try not to make her mad."

James scoffed and adjusted to his earmuffs. "We haven't exchanged more than two words all year. We'll be fine."

She still didn't know how to manage her growing friendship with Lily after her fall out with Snape and the fact that she was getting more and more involved with Sirius who was best mates with her best mate from childhood. So Marlene rolled her eyes and headed across the street. "If you say so."

Just before reaching the other side Marlene screamed as she was attacked by a feathery mass screaming in french.

Sirius stood in front of her and started yelling at the attackers in french. Marlene caught catches of his tirade. "Stop it." "No, not like that you stupid chickens." "Come on now, sing." "I am sorry you got scared."

"Sirius, what's going on here?" Marlene touched him on the shoulder, his leather jacket cold under her fingertips.

Sirius smiled at her over his shoulder, snowflakes caught in his long eyelashes. "Your present."

Marlene looked down at the three hens, pecking the ground and speaking in french and then back up at this boy who seemed determined to make her Christmas extra special and extra silly.

"Three French Hens." Sirius looked so proud. "I enchanted them to speak myself."

Marlene laughed lightly, took his scruffy face in her hands and placed a great smacking kiss on his lips. "You're a brilliant moron, you are."


	4. Chapter 4

Day Four: December 28, 1977

Marlene woke up sick and lost everything she'd eaten in the past 48 hours. Sirius held her hair, rubbed her back and got her a cool cloth for the back of her neck.

"Thanks." Marlene whispered when he got her back to her bed.

Sirius climbed under the covers next to her and kissed her on the temple. "You're welcome duck. Now sleep."

Marlene winced as her body shook involuntarily. "I don't if my stupid body is going to let me."

Sirius pulled out his wand. "My mum said no more animals in the house but I don't think this counts."

He conjured the tapestry on the wall to move and four black (colly) birds flew through the branches of the trees, calling sharply to each other and making patterns in their flight. Marlene lay against her favorite boy and watched the show until the pain eased and she could sleep again.

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a/n Marlene is my world was diagnosed with cancer halfway through her fifth year and by sixth year finds out that even though most wizards can live with cancer the way Muggles live with MS or other auto-immune disorders her body is not responding to the potions properly. At this point Marlene doesn't even know if she'll live past her 20th birthday.


	5. Chapter 5

Day Five: December 29, 1977

Luckily by the next morning Marlene felt healthy enough to come down stairs. In the back sitting room had been turned into workshop for Snyder and Neil's Christmas gift of a 5000 piece 3-D puzzle. They'd always got the same thing for Christmas despite being out of school for two years now. And they worked on it intently and obsessively throughout the entire of Christmas break until it was done. Marlene and Alice liked to mock them and even sabotage their efforts. But this year, when Frank carried Marlene into the back sitting room it was arranged like a small theatre.

Sirius stood, in dress robes, in front of a white sheet curtain. He bowed when Frank had set her on the very comfortable couch. "Welcome, M'Lady to the Charade Theatre. We will perform and you will guess."

He stalked off and the curtain opened. It was Peter and James. They stood perfectly still, dressed alike in black trousers and shirts, holding hands in a circle and covered from head to toe in gold glitter.

Marlene snorted. She immediately saw the plan. "A gold ring."

Peter and James nodded and the curtain closed.

Sirius stuck his head out. "That was a lucky guess Marlene Kaylee McKinnon but this one will be more difficult. Be prepared."

"If you say so Black." Marlene smirked at him and he ducked behind the curtain again.

When the curtain opened Frank was hold Alice's right hand in his and pointing to his christmas gift to her, a gold promise ring.

Marlene smiled. "Gold ring."

The third time it was Arthur Weasley ringing a gold bell. Marlene gave him points for creativity.

The fourth time it was Remus magicking a pixie ring of gold mushrooms right there on the floor and pretending to be annoyed by this whole silly situation.

The fifth was Sirius. He did it the old fashioned way of making her guess by acting out the words Five, Golden and Rings.

Marlene was laughing by the end even though it made her sides hurt.

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a/n For those interested there is a master post on my tumblr to Marlene's bio. The link is in with my profile.


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